By now I am sure you have all heard of the random act of kindness that an NYC police officer did for a homeless man a week or so ago. For those who aren’t aware of what Officer Larry DePrimo did, he saw a homeless man sitting on a street, and instead of giving the man a hard time, he went into a nearby Sketchers store and bought the man weather resistant boots and wool socks; Officer DePrimo noticed that the homeless man did not have on any shoes and was barefoot in the 30-40 degree weather.

What Officer DePrimo stumbled upon was something known to many foot docs around the country, that good shoes are a necessity this time of year, not only because of the cold but also to protect from rain, sleet, snow and ice. Many Americans will go this winter without adequate shoegear and this can lead to many problems. Not the least of which is gangrene and frostbite. Every hospital in the US will encounter people being admitted because they did not protect their feet this winter. This can be avoided.

A good pair of weather resistant boots and warm socks can protect almost anyone’s feet from what mother nature can throw at us. Also, if you know that your feet are going to be exposed to water or snow for long periods of time, make sure to have a few pairs of extra socks on hand.